新詐騙手段 Beware of a New Scam

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親愛的各位，

希望您一切安好。

我想提醒您們最近發生的一起詐騙事件。於2024年4月13日（星期六），我們的一位成員A女士險些成為詐騙的受害者。根據她提供的詳細信息，以下是事件的摘要：

一群中年女性以廣東話共謀欺騙南安普敦市中心的華人社區。這些詐騙者各自扮演不同角色，以獲取信任並操縱目標。

事件的開始是當一名詐騙者「詐騙者X」接近A女士，假裝非常焦急，詢問她是否認識一位年長的華人女性「B女士」。出於好心，A女士與她展開了對話。不久之後，另一名女性「詐騙者Y」出現，聲稱自己聽到他們的對話，並聲稱她也認識B女士。三人隨後繼續交談。

在某個時刻，詐騙者X要求A女士聞她手上的香水，A女士照做了，甚至問她這是什麼香水。

隨後，詐騙者們聯繫了一位假裝是B女士女兒的「詐騙者Z」。當詐騙者Z加入時，她不祥地聲稱詐騙者X將會面臨災難，然後轉向A女士，警告她即將面臨較小的災難。詐騙者們施壓A女士，相信B女士可以透過祈禱和儀式來驅散這些所謂的災難。A女士被說服去銀行提取資金，用於儀式，並承諾在儀式完成後將資金歸還。

由於是星期六，A女士只能提取£1,000，詐騙者聲稱這不足以避免災難。然後，他們建議她去蘋果商店購買幾部iPhone。幸運的是，當A女士到達Westquay的蘋果商店時，早期操縱的效果似乎開始消退，她意識到這是一場詐騙。幸好她沒有再進一步行動。

A女士已經向警方報案。然而，因為這一詐騙專門針對心地善良的華人，我們敦促每位成員保持警惕。

重要提醒：

  • 與陌生人互動時要小心。
  • 不要接受陌生人給的食物、飲料或香水，因為這些可能含有影響判斷的物質。

更新： 在2024年10月8日，南安華協主席接到一個來自南安普敦的華人家庭的電話，報告他們的一位家庭成員已經成為了類似詐騙的受害者。這實在令人遺憾，我們敦促大家保持警惕，對這些詐騙手段保持警覺。

保重，並請與您的家人和朋友分享此信息。

此致，
南安華協委員會

 

Dear All,

I hope this message finds you well.

I would like to draw your attention to a recent scam attempt. On Saturday, 13th April 2024, one of our members, Ms A, narrowly avoided falling victim to a fraudulent scheme. Based on the details she provided, here’s a summary of the incident:

A group of middle-aged women, speaking Cantonese, conspired to deceive members of the Chinese community in Southampton City Centre. The scammers took on distinct roles to gain trust and manipulate their target.

The encounter began when one scammer, “Scammer X,” approached Ms A, pretending to be in distress and asking if she knew an elderly Chinese woman, “Ms B.” Out of kindness, Ms A engaged in conversation. Shortly after, another woman, “Scammer Y,” appeared, claiming to have overheard their conversation and asserting that she also knew Ms B. The three of them continued talking.

At one point, Scammer X asked Ms A to smell a fragrance on her hand, which she did—Ms A even asked what perfume it was.

The scammers later contacted someone posing as Ms B’s daughter, “Scammer Z.” When Scammer Z arrived, she ominously claimed that Scammer X would face a disaster, and then turned to Ms A, warning her of a smaller impending misfortune. The group pressured Ms A into believing that Ms B could help through prayers and rituals to dispel these supposed disasters. Ms A was persuaded to withdraw money for the ritual. Scamers promised Ms A that she will get back the monet once the ritual is completed.

As it was a Saturday, Ms A could only withdraw £1,000, which the scammers claimed was not enough to avert the disaster. They then suggested she purchase several iPhones from the Apple Store. Fortunately, when Ms A arrived at the Apple Store in Westquay, the effects of the earlier manipulation seemed to wear off, and she realised it was a scam. Thankfully, she did not proceed any further.

Ms A has reported the incident to the police. However, as this scam specifically targets kind-hearted individuals within the Chinese community, we urge everyone to remain vigilant.

Important reminders:

  • Be cautious when interacting with strangers.
  • Do not accept food, drinks, or perfumes from people you do not know, as these may be laced with substances that impair judgement.

Updates: On 8th October 2024, the CAS chairperson received a phone call from a Chinese family in Southampton, reporting that a family member had fallen victim to a similar scam. This is truly unfortunate, and we urge everyone to exercise caution and remain alert to these fraudulent schemes.

Stay safe, and please share this information with your family and friends.

Best regards,
CAS Committee